Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/34

18 by the dropping tide. One huge rock jutted far out into the water at the edge of the little  harbour, and here he found himself tempted  to stop a minute, staring at the foaming green  water, then to climb down from ledge to ledge  and finally to seat himself just above where  the surf was breaking.

How cool and deep the tumbling waves were, how they came rolling solemnly in, and  then seemed to hesitate for one short second  before they broke and sent spattering showers  up to his very feet. He must go on, of course; it was really a shame to delay longer; he  would just watch another breaker come in,  and then another—and another, so that he  might see again those shining rainbows that  came and went in the sunlit spray.

He heard something scurry and scuttle across the rock near by him and, as he looked  over the edge, saw a slim, brown mink come  out of a hole and stop to look up at him. It must have had a nest near by, for it was  fierce in its anger at his intrusion and seemed  quite unafraid. Its wicked little eyes fairly snapped with rage, and it made a queer hissing sound as it tried, with tiny fury, to frighten  him away. He laughed and turned to go,